Carbon footprint management relies on correctly performed calculations, but good advice on reducing the carbon footprint is equally important. How to build a climate strategy aligned with the Paris Climate Agreement?

Environmental economist Anna-Katri Räihä is responsible for life cycle assessments and carbon footprint calculations at Nordic Offset, the climate consultation company. Life cycle assessment is the process of calculating the climate impact of a product over its entire life cycle.

“We don’t just calculate one emission figure. We also advise the client on reducing their carbon footprint and achieving a positive environmental impact, also known as the carbon handprint. Some businesses have employed their own experts to assess climate impacts and even taken steps towards carbon neutrality. Some may have switched to green electricity. In recent years, companies have also begun to review their supply chains and logistics, and started looking for carbon neutral partners,” Räihä explains.

Nordic Offset’s services are tailored for each customer, and the offered advice always complies with international policies and best practices.

“It is important to know what to take into consideration in carbon footprint calculation, and how to follow the industry standards and guidelines. We are also familiar with the terms to which companies should pay particular attention in their communications. We consult on the situation and provide advice on improvement areas. For instance, we calculated the carbon footprint of Service Union United (PAM) and they reportedly became the first trade union in Finland to achieve carbon neutrality.”

 

Advice for concrete climate actions

In accordance with the net-zero emissions target set in the Paris Agreement, Finland is striving to achieve carbon neutrality by 2035. However, in addition to government commitment, private-sector action is also required to successfully combat climate change. Nordic Offset aids companies in considering their approach to climate sustainability.

“I’ve worked with emissions trading for a long time. We are globally connected through my networks. We recently found a new partner in Central Europe to bolster our expertise, and we cooperate to help our corporate clients draft a climate sustainability strategy in accordance with the Science-Based Targets initiative, taking into account the definitions of the Paris Agreement and the targets set for the private sector,” says Maija Saijonmaa, M.Sc. (Tech.), Partner at Nordic Offset.

“The new service allows us to take traditional carbon neutrality services, based on emissions calculations, emissions reductions and carbon offsets, even further at the strategic level.”

The company has provided carbon offsetting for operators such as telecommunications company Elisa and the City of Tampere.

 

Pioneering carbon neutrality services

Nordic Offset was founded in Espoo in 2008. By 2020, the company had increased its revenue tenfold in three years. The company has strong potential for growth, as demand is boosted by climate-sustainable economic stimulus programmes.

“We’ve reinforced our team with new assets – we employ some of the leading experts in the industry.”

Räihä has been with the company for a year, and calculation specialist Larissa Vuori, M.Sc. (Agriculture), started in the spring of 2021. Nordic Offset’s growth is rooted in advanced expert services that aim to help companies adopt the right solutions in a new area of responsibility.

“We are a pioneer of carbon neutrality services in Finland. Our tried and tested models based on more than 13 years’ experience have enabled us to meet the soaring demand.”

The people behind Nordic Offset’s success: Larissa Vuori, Antti Asumaa, Maija Saijonmaa, Anna-Katri Räihä, and Staffan Söderholm (missing from the picture). These specialists offer their expertise to help companies achieve ambitious climate goals.

 

 

Article originally published in the magazine supplements for Talouselämä on 4 June 2021 and Kauppalehti Optio on 17 June 2021.